알파경제 - The U.S. Justice Department has indicted a former North Korean diplomat on charges of money laundering and bank fraud

Copy of the indictment (photo = Yonhap news)

[Alpha Biz= Reporter Paul Lee] A former North Korean Embassy official in Thailand who secretly transported goods from Thailand to North Korea has been indicted in the United States on money laundering charges.

The U.S. Justice Department says former North Korean government official Lee Myung-ho has been charged with violating U.S. economic sanctions, bank fraud and international money laundering.

According to the indictment, Lee Myung-ho negotiated with a number of disguised companies in Thailand and Malaysia in February 2015 to transport goods on behalf of the North Korean company.

Lee Myung-ho and his conspirators had the goods shipped to China's Dalian to hide their business purposes.

In the process, Lee Myung-ho intentionally hid the real destination of the goods from a U.S.-based financial firm, and U.S. financial institutions carried out a number of U.S. dollar transactions for North Korea without knowing the facts.

알파경제 Paul Lee (hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)